On politics in the Golden State

Internet proves tricky for both parties in Sacramento

January 17, 2012 | 7:39
pm

It looks like prematurely uploading things to the Internet is a bipartisan problem in California state government.

Less than two weeks after a state worker accidentally posted Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal online days early, Republicans uploaded their response to Brown’s State of the State address Tuesday -- a day before the speech.

The videotaped response, starring Senate Republican leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) and Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway (R-Tulare), was taken offline -- but not before Capital Public Radio captured the audio.

“Today, Gov. Brown shared his vision for California for the year ahead,” Conway says in the video.

She goes on to criticize Brown for saying the “sky will fall” without tax increases, which Brown hopes voters approve in a November ballot measure.

Huff then criticized Brown's effort to house more inmates in county jails rather than state prisons, saying it “basically amounts to the early release of thousands of dangerous criminals.”

Gil Duran, a spokesman for Brown, pounced on the Republicans’ goof.

“Republicans post tired talking points in taped 'pre-sponse' to a speech that has not yet been given,” he wrote on Twitter.

Sabrina Lockhart, a spokeswoman for Conway, said the video was posted early because of a “technical error.”

“It’s not unusual to help meet press deadlines to get our response ready in advance,” she said.

Brown is scheduled to give his State of the State speech in the Capitol on Wednesday at 10 a.m.